Mentoring Progams Work

Henry Sandoval got his report card last week. As the Kepner Middle School sixth-grader's grades went from D's and F's to B's, Katie Reilly's mood went from hopeful to determined.

"Henry's going to graduate from high school," Reilly said with the kind of grim certitude that defies failure.

Reilly, a 30-year-old lawyer, and Henry, an 11-year-old Denver Public Schools student, are a work in progress. They are the essence of the mentoring relationship, which combines friendship and empathy with expectations and tough love.

"She helps me a lot with homework, and we do some fun things," Henry said.